No need, I use an inspiron from the 2012 and it works fine. Don’t understand why you want to install linux on such a capable laptop! Anyway, In xfce rise up the lid, wait a few seconds and you will see a flash of a mouse and sign of life. Don’t press the shutdown button, that will prompt it to fully shut down. Instead type in your password even if the screen is black. It will come to life.
One thing I have noticed that the laptop GETS HAWT when I shut down the lid and leave it in a desk, as It springs to life in the upper steps. My previous os, win7 went to sleep auto and kept the laptop cold. Maybe the not sleeping off despite the lid down confuses the os, and the following mentioned above happens. Try mine and see if that will work.